A home gym can make keeping fit a lot easier. Whenever you feel like working out, you only have to wander into your gym in your workout clothes. There’s no need to drive anywhere or pack a bag. You can save a lot of time and perhaps some money too. However, if you want to save by building a home gym, it could take a while before your investment pays off. If you can keep your budget down, it will be less time before you’ve made a saving compared to a gym membership. Setting up a home gym doesn’t have to be expensive, so follow these tips if you’re on a budget.
Try Before Buying
One mistake that many people make when they set up a home gym is to buy equipment they have never tried. They research what they should have in their gym and buy the recommended items. But then they don’t end up using several things, so have wasted their money on their purchases. Before you get anything, it’s always a good idea to try it and see if it’s right for you. That goes for anything from running machines to yoga mats. There’s no point getting something you’re never going to use. Go to a few sessions at your nearest gym or take some classes to find out if a piece of equipment will be useful for you.
Choose Equipment for Full-body Workouts
If you want to save money, the less you buy, the better. However, you probably think that you need different equipment for various purposes. You might want to lose weight and work on toning various areas of your body. Before you start buying everything under the sun, consider the things that can give you a full-body workout. For example, a rowing machine or cross trainer are great options for larger machines. However, there are cheaper things to consider too. For example, a simple yoga mat can help you improve flexibility for your whole body. If you can buy fewer pieces of equipment, you’ll save more money.
Find the Best Value Items
Whenever you buy anything, you should compare prices before you buy. Don’t go straight for the most popular and expensive choice before you know your options. It can be hard to find the right balance between quality and cost. However, if you learn what to look for, you can make sure you get a good deal. There are always cheaper versions of the things you’re looking for. If it’s your first time buying, it’s often better to go for the less expensive option. For example, if you’re looking for spinner bikes, there are some great low-budget choices. Once you know you get a lot of use out of the bike, you could trade it in for something of higher quality.
Avoid Buying Machines
Another option to help you save is to avoid buying any machines at all. They are by far the most expensive pieces of equipment, especially if you choose the better quality ones. Other equipment, such as free weights, can get expensive too. But it’s often the kind of thing that will allow you to start small and build a collection. For example, you might begin with just a few dumbbells of varying weights. As you start to use them more, you can get some heavier weights or some different styles. There are lots of other things you can add to a home gym, from yoga mats to aerobic steps or exercise balls.
Buy Used Equipment
The thing about setting up home gyms is that many people do it, and many don’t last long. People set themselves goals, but they barely use the equipment they buy and quickly sell it on. If you want to save on anything for your home gym, don’t forget to look for second-hand equipment. You should be able to find items suitable for you all year, but you could see more a few months after the new year. It’s common for people to try and get fit as a New Year’s resolution and give up before the year is halfway over. It’s a great way to save on larger equipment.
Get Good Deals on Gym-quality Equipment
The items you buy are home aren’t likely to be as heavy-duty as what you would find at the gym. But if you want to get serious, you might look at gym-quality equipment. Unfortunately, you can pay a lot of money to get that sort of thing. Another option is to find a great deal from a gym or a retailer or manufacturer. Gyms often go out of business so it’s easier than you might think to snap up their equipment. You could still pay the same prices as you would for new home-quality equipment. However, you’ll get something that lasts longer and could do more too.
Use Your Bodyweight
If you want to keep your gym equipment costs low, you should try to use your bodyweight to work out. There are cheaper items you can buy to help you do this so you don’t need expensive equipment. For example, a chin-up bar is inexpensive and easy to set up anywhere. You can put one in a doorway and start working out in seconds. It can even be a portable item you can take wherever you go.
Know Your Goals
Before you start building your home gym, make sure you have an aim in mind. You should know what sort of exercise you want to do. Otherwise, you run the risk of choosing things for your gym at random. You don’t want to find a list of items and just buy everything on the list. You need to set clear goals and understand how to reach them. A home gym shouldn’t just be a one-size-fits-all model. It should be different for everyone, depending on what sort of workouts you want to do.
Your home gym doesn’t have to be flashy and expensive. It only takes a few items to provide you with the equipment you need.
